U.S. patent number 9,788,451 [Application Number 14/139,812] was granted by the patent office on 2017-10-10 for block chassis sled having one-third width computing and storage nodes for increased processing and storage configuration flexibility within a modular, scalable and/or expandable rack-based information handling system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Dell Products, L.P.. The grantee listed for this patent is DELL, INC.. Invention is credited to Edmond Bailey, Jimmy Pike, Joseph Vivio.
United States Patent |
9,788,451 |
Bailey , et al. |
October 10, 2017 |
Block chassis sled having one-third width computing and storage
nodes for increased processing and storage configuration
flexibility within a modular, scalable and/or expandable rack-based
information handling system
Abstract
Modular, expandable rack assembly physically supports components
of information handling systems. Base structure of interconnected
panels form volumetric space having front section and rear section,
with opposing side panels forming front access space and rear
access space, respectively, having width that supports insertion of
standard full-width IT gear. Guides are located within interior
surfaces of opposing side panels at the front section to rear
section. Block chassis has frame that provides block height to
enable insertion of at least one layer of up to N side-by-side
fully functional IT gears within block chassis, which in turn is
physically inserted into front section of base structure and held
in place by opposing guides of opposing side panels. When N is 3,
three side-by-side one-third width IT sleds, each containing IT
gear, are inserted in respective one-third width IT bays of block
chassis.
Inventors: |
Bailey; Edmond (Cedar Park,
TX), Pike; Jimmy (Georgetown, TX), Vivio; Joseph
(Santa Rosa, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DELL, INC. |
Round Rock |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Dell Products, L.P. (Round
Rock, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
57399480 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/139,812 |
Filed: |
December 23, 2013 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160353599 A1 |
Dec 1, 2016 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K
7/1485 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
1/18 (20060101); H05K 7/00 (20060101); H05K
7/14 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;361/679.01 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wu; Jerry
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Isidore PLLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A rack-based information handling system (IHS), comprising: a
modular, expandable rack assembly having opposing sidewalls spaced
to receive block chasses capable of housing a plurality of
information technology (IT) components from an open front side of
the rack assembly, the block chasses insertable into the rack
assembly and having one or more rows for insertion of IT sleds;
three side-by-side one-third width IT sleds, each sled configured
with opposing having side panels connected by a base panel and
containing IT gear, the three side-by-side one-third width IT sleds
inserted in one of the one or more rows ; and a vertical busbar
attached to a rear side of the rack assembly, wherein each of the
block chasses comprises a horizontal busbar providing an electrical
connection at a rear of each one-third width IT bay and aligned to
electrically connect to the vertical busbar to provide electrical
power to each of the one-third width IT sleds in response to the
block chassis being inserted into the rack assembly.
2. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein the block chassis
comprises guides defining one-third IT bays for insertion of
one-third width IT sleds within the one or more rows of IT
sleds.
3. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein the one-third width IT
sleds have flat side panels aligned for flush alignment with an
adjacent one-third width IT sled for frictional slideable insertion
and removal.
4. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein a right side panel of a
selected one-third width IT sled has horizontally aligned contour
of an indentation and a protrusion that is mirrored by a
corresponding left side panel of a left adjacent one-third width IT
sled for guided, slideable insertion and removal of one of the
selected and adjacent one-third width IT sleds.
5. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein the one-third width IT
sleds each have a width that is less than or equal to one-third of
a standard nineteen (19) inch width rack that, in lateral flushed
alignment and slideable with an adjacent one-third width IT sled,
combine to represent a 19-inch wide interior space of the block
chassis.
6. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein the three side-by-side
one-third width IT sleds contain one or more of computing IT gear,
non hot plug storage IT gear, a hot plug storage IT gear, and Just
A Bunch Of Disks (JBOD) storage IT gear.
7. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein the one or more one-third
width IT sleds contain IT gear oriented depthways along a
motherboard from front to back.
8. The rack-based IHS of claim 1, wherein a selected row of three
one-third width IT sleds comprises a non hot plug storage node
placed between and functionally shared by two computing nodes,
wherein the computing nodes are configured to continue operating
during cold servicing of the non hot plug storage node.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to an information handling
system and in particular to a block chassis and sled configuration
for a modular, scalable, and expandable rack-based information
handling system and design.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase,
individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and
store information. One option available to users is information
handling systems. An information handling system (IHS) generally
processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or
data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing
users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because
technology and information handling needs and requirements vary
between different users or applications, information handling
systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how
the information is handled, how much information is processed,
stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the
information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The
variations in information handling systems allow for information
handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or
specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline
reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In
addition, information handling systems may include a variety of
hardware and software components that may be configured to process,
store, and communicate information and may include one or more
computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Standardization of dimensions of rack servers fosters design and
manufacturing economies for IT components. Rack assemblies, such as
those based on a 19 inch frame size, have a lateral dimension
defined to handle full-width server sleds containing IT gear for
computing and/or storage. Installing or servicing each rack server
generally affects all of the IT gear in the full-width server sled.
Storage IT gear contained in the IT sled is constrained to be one
of cold serviceable or hot serviceable. When cold serviceable
storage IT gear is selected for the full-width server rack, any
computing IT gear contained in the full-width IT sled necessarily
does not operate when the full-width server rack is being cold
serviced.
BRIEF SUMMARY
Disclosed are a rack-based information handling system (IHS) and a
method for providing one-third width IT sleds within a modular,
scalable and expandable, rack-based IHS. The racked-based IHS
includes a modular, expandable rack assembly with opposing side
panels spaced to receive block chasses capable of housing a
plurality of information technology (IT) components from an open
front side of the rack assembly. A block chassis is inserted into
the rack assembly having one or more rows for insertion of IT
sleds. Three side-by-side one-third width IT sleds have side panels
connected by a base panel and are inserted in at least one of the
one or more rows and each containing IT gear. Configuration and
design aspects as well as functional use of the one-third width IT
sleds are also disclosed.
According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a
modular, expandable rack assembly for physically supporting
components of one or more information handling systems (IHSes)
includes a base structure having a plurality of interconnected
panels forming a volumetric space having a front section and a rear
section, with opposing side walls forming a front access space and
a rear access space, respectively, having a width that supports
insertion of a standard full-width IT gear. A plurality of guides
are located within interior surfaces of the opposing side walls at
the front section, the plurality of guides running from the front
section to the rear section. A block chassis is physically inserted
into the front section of the base structure and held in place by
at least two opposing guides of the opposing side walls. The block
chassis has a frame that provides a block height, which enables
insertion of at least one layer of up to N side-by-side fully
functional IT gears within the block chassis, where N is equal to
three and the chassis supports insertion of three side-by-side
one-third width IT sleds.
According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a
method is provided for assembling a rack-based IHS. The method
includes assembling a modular, expandable rack assembly having side
panels spaced to receive a block chassis capable of housing a
plurality of IT gear from an open front side of the rack assembly.
The method includes assembling at least one block chassis having a
frame that provides a block height, which enables insertion of at
least one layer of up to N side-by-side fully functional IT gears
within the block chassis, wherein N is an integer from among 1, 2,
and 3. When N=3, the method includes providing one or more layers
of three (3) side-by-side fully functional IT gears inserted in the
at least one block chassis, wherein the three side-by-side fully
functional IT gears comprise three one-third widths IT gear that
are one third a size of a standard width IT gear. Method further
includes physically inserting the block chassis into the rack
assembly. The resulting rack-based IHS can concurrently support
full width, half width and one-third width sleds within a same
block or across multiple blocks.
The above presents a general summary of several aspects of the
disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of at least
some aspects of the disclosure. The above summary contains
simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail and is not
intended as a comprehensive description of the claimed subject
matter but, rather, is intended to provide a brief overview of some
of the functionality associated therewith. The summary is not
intended to delineate the scope of the claims, and the summary
merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a general form
as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows. Other
systems, methods, functionality, features and advantages of the
claimed subject matter will be or will become apparent to one with
skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and
detailed written description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The description of the illustrative embodiments can be read in
conjunction with the accompanying figures. It will be appreciated
that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements
illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to
scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are
exaggerated relative to other elements. Embodiments incorporating
teachings of the present disclosure are shown and described with
respect to the figures presented herein, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example information
handling system (IHS) within which various aspects of the
disclosure can be implemented, according to one or more
embodiments;
FIG. 2 illustrates a front isometric view of an example rack prior
to insertion of functional components for the rack to operate as an
IHS, according to one or more embodiments;
FIG. 3 illustrates a front isometric view of the example rack of
FIG. 2 after insertion of functional components for the rack to
operate as an IHS, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a block having one-third width
IT nodes, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a block having half width IT
nodes, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a block having full width IT
nodes, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 7 illustrates a rear isometric view of the block of FIG. 4,
according to one embodiment;
FIG. 8 illustrates a front isometric view of the block of FIG. 4
with one-third width IT nodes partially extended from the block,
according to one embodiment;
FIG. 9 illustrates a top view in horizontal cross section through a
block chassis of the rack assembly of FIG. 3 exposing one-third
width nodes, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 10 illustrates a detail view of the rack assembly of FIG. 9,
according to one embodiment;
FIG. 11 illustrates an isometric view of an example one-third width
node, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 12 illustrates an isometric exploded view of the example
one-third width node of FIG. 11, according to one embodiment;
FIG. 13 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for physically
supporting components of one or more information handling systems
(IHSes), according to one embodiment;
FIG. 14 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for providing
one-third width IT gear, according to one embodiment; and
FIG. 15 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for providing
electrical power to the one-third width IT gear, according to one
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present innovation provide fractional width information
technology (IT) gear that enable side-by-side IT gear placement and
design of corresponding fractional width it gear sleds that enable
side-by-side insertion into a row of a block chassis of a standard
width rack. The present innovation further provides the fractional
width IT sleds with direct power coupling and block-level control
when inserted into a modular, scalable and expandable information
handling system (IHS) rack. For example, the IT sled may be full
width, half width or one-third width. In one or more embodiments,
the IT gear may include computer nodes, servers, and/or nonvolatile
storage that are individually installed into IT sleds that are
one-third of a standard width of a rack server. Scaling a rack
infrastructure to support side-by-side placement of various types
of IT system sleds enables hybrid combinations of compute and
storage nodes for increased processing and storage capability. In
certain embodiments, a one-third width storage sled may be shared
by two one-third width compute sleds in order to enable servicing
of cold storage devices such as hard disk drives while allowing
compute nodes to remain online. Moreover, an overall compute
density of a rack-based IHS may be increased.
In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of
the disclosure, specific exemplary embodiments in which the
disclosure may be practiced are described in sufficient detail to
enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosed
embodiments. For example, specific details such as specific method
orders, structures, elements, and connections have been presented
herein. However, it is to be understood that the specific details
presented need not be utilized to practice embodiments of the
present disclosure. It is also to be understood that other
embodiments may be utilized and that logical, architectural,
programmatic, mechanical, electrical and other changes may be made
without departing from general scope of the disclosure. The
following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined
by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
References within the specification to "one embodiment," "an
embodiment," "embodiments", or "one or more embodiments" are
intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The
appearance of such phrases in various places within the
specification are not necessarily all referring to the same
embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually
exclusive of other embodiments. Further, various features are
described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by
others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be
requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.
It is understood that the use of specific component, device and/or
parameter names and/or corresponding acronyms thereof, such as
those of the executing utility, logic, and/or firmware described
herein, are for example only and not meant to imply any limitations
on the described embodiments. The embodiments may thus be described
with different nomenclature and/or terminology utilized to describe
the components, devices, parameters, methods and/or functions
herein, without limitation. References to any specific protocol or
proprietary name in describing one or more elements, features or
concepts of the embodiments are provided solely as examples of one
implementation, and such references do not limit the extension of
the claimed embodiments to embodiments in which different element,
feature, protocol, or concept names are utilized. Thus, each term
utilized herein is to be given its broadest interpretation given
the context in which that terms is utilized.
FIG. 1 illustrates a two-dimensional block diagram representation
of an example rack-based information handling system (IHS) 100,
within which one or more of the described features of the various
embodiments of the disclosure can be implemented to support
one-third width compute and storage nodes for a modular,
scalable/expandable IHS. As a two-dimensional image, certain of the
presented components are shown in different orientations relative
to each other for simplicity in describing the connectively of the
components. For purposes of this disclosure, an information
handling system, such as IHS 100, may include any instrumentality
or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify,
process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store,
display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize
any form of information, intelligence, or data for business,
scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information
handling system may be a handheld device, personal computer, a
server, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and
may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The
information handling system may include random access memory (RAM),
one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit
(CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other
types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the
information handling system may include one or more disk drives,
one or more network ports for communicating with external devices
as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a
keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling
system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit
communications between the various hardware components.
As presented in FIG. 1, IHS 100 includes a rack assembly 102, which
can comprise one or more panels of sheet metal or other material
interconnected to form a three dimensional volume generally
referred to in the industry as a rack. Unique aspects of the rack
assembly 102, which add to the modularity and expandability of IHS
100, are further illustrated and described in one or more of the
three-dimensional figures presented herein. As is further presented
by these three-dimensional figures, certain components indicated
herein are located internal to the rack assembly 102 while other
components can be located external to rack assembly 102. These
various components are communicatively connected to one or more
components via power and communication cables, which are generally
represented by the connecting lines of FIG. 1.
IHS 100 comprises a hierarchical arrangement of multiple management
modules, along with power and cooling components, and functional
processing components or IT components within end nodes 104. In
particular, the IHS 100 provides physical and functional support
for nodes 104 of one or more fractional widths including one-third
width nodes 104a, half-width nodes 104b, full-width nodes 104c, and
N-width nodes 104d. "N" is an integer 1, 2 or 3 for a number of
nodes 104d in a row of a full-size server rack. "N" may also be
used in reference to a fractional portion of a full-size server
rack, specifically the ratio 1/N. IT gear 105 contained by the
nodes 104, for example computing IT gear 105a, non hot plug (NHP)
storage IT gear 105b, hot plug (HP) storage IT gear 105c, and JBOD
storage IT gear 105d containing hard disk drives (HDDs) configured
as Just A Bunch Of Disks (JBOD). For example, one-third width nodes
104a may provide highly dense compute workloads. Half-width nodes
104b may provide a balance for compute and storage workloads. Full
width nodes 104c may be used for dense storage workloads and
JBODs.
JBOD (for "just a bunch of disks," or sometimes "just a bunch of
drives") is an array of hard disks that have not been configured
according to the RAID (redundant array of independent disks)
system. The RAID system stores the same data redundantly on
multiple disks that nevertheless appear to the operating system as
a single disk. JBOD also makes the disks appear to be a single one
by combining the drives into one larger logical one. JBOD means the
individual disks are presented (to a server) with no amalgamation,
pooling or structure applied.
At the rack level, IHS 100 includes a management controller (MC)
106 communicatively connected to infrastructure manager/module (IM)
108. MC 106 can also be referred to as a Rack Management Controller
(RMC). MC 106 includes a microcontroller 110 (also generally
referred to as a processor) which is coupled via an internal bus
112 to memory 114, I/O interface controller 116, removable storage
device (RSD) interface 118 and storage 120. Memory 114 can be flash
or other form of memory. Illustrated within memory 114 is
rack-level power management and control (RPMC or PMC) firmware 122,
which is inclusive of the firmware that controls the operation of
MC 106 in communicating with and managing the down-stream
components (i.e., processing blocks 124 and end nodes 104, etc.) of
IHS 100. IHS 100 may have blocks 124 having a block chassis 125
that provides physical support for one or more widths of nodes 104.
For example, a block chassis 125a of block A 124a may receive
inserted one-third width nodes 104a. A block chassis 125b of block
B 124b may receive inserted half-width nodes 104b. A block chassis
125c of block C 124c may receive inserted full-width nodes 104c. A
block chassis 125d of block D 124d may receive N width nodes 104d.
Each of the block chasses 125a-d are laterally sized for the full
width of the rack assembly 102.
I/O interface controller 116 provides connection points and
hardware and firmware components that allow for user interfacing
with the MC 106 via one or more connected I/O devices, such as a
keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor. I/O interface controller 116
enables a user to enter commands via, for example, a command line
interface (CLI), and to view status information of IHS 100. I/O
interface controller 116 also enables the setting of operating
parameters for IHS 100, among other supported user inputs. RSD
interface 118 enables insertion or connection of a RSD 126, such as
a storage device (SD) card containing pre-programmable operating
firmware for IHS 100. In at least one embodiment, a RSD 126 stores
a copy of the operating parameters of IHS 100 and the RSD 126 can
be utilized to reboot the IHS 100 to its operating state following
a system failure or maintenance shutdown. Storage 120 can be any
form of persistent storage and can include different types of data
and operating parameters (settings) 127 utilized for functional
operation of IHS 100. Among the stored content within storage 120
may also be algorithms 128 for fan and/or power and/or control. For
example, the algorithms 128 can facilitate hot servicing or cold
servicing of blocks 124, individually labeled as blocks A-D
124a-124d, or nodes 104. In one or more embodiments, IHS 100 can
optionally include at least one other MC, illustrated as secondary
MC 130, to provide a redundant configuration of MCs 106/130 which
are both simultaneously active and functioning. With these
embodiments, the redundant configuration enables IHS 100 to
continue operating following a failure of either of the MCs 106/130
or in the event one of the MCs 106/130 has to be taken offline for
maintenance.
Infrastructure manager (IM) 108 includes cooling subsystem
interface 134, Ethernet switch 136, power distribution interface
138 and network interface 140. Network interface 140 enables IHS
100 and specifically the components within IHS 100 to connect to
communicate with or via an external network 142.
In addition to the above described MC 106 and IM 108, IHS 100
further comprises a fan and cooling subsystem 143, power subsystem
144, and the plurality of processing blocks A-D 124a-124d. In one
implementation, each processing block 124 has an associated block
controller (BC) 146. Each block 124 may be enclosed within a block
chassis 125 that is inserted to the rack assembly 102 with
connectors and conductors aligned for automatic engagement. For
example, each block 124 may serve a basic physical building unit
with the rack assembly 102, consuming 4 U of vertical space with
four horizontal rows of sleds in each block 124 at 1 U per TOW.
A rack unit, U or RU is a unit of measure that describes the height
of equipment designed to mount in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack.
The 19-inch (482.6 mm) or 23-inch (584.2 mm) dimension refers to
the width of the equipment mounting frame in the rack including the
frame; the width of the equipment that can be mounted inside the
rack is less. One rack unit is 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) high. A
19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting
multiple equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is
19 inches (482.6 mm) wide, including edges or ears that protrude on
each side which allow the module to be fastened to the rack frame
with screws.
Cooling subsystem 143 includes a plurality of fan modules 152, or
merely "fans", located in fan receptacles 153 within a respective
fan bay module 154 and can be different sizes and provide different
numbers of fan modules 152 per fan bay module 154. Also included
within cooling subsystem 143 is a plurality of temperature sensors
150, which are further shown distributed within or associated with
specific blocks 124. Each fan bay module 154 is located behind (or
in the air flow path of) a specific block 124 and the fan modules
152 are communicatively coupled to and controlled by the block
controller 146 associated with that block 124. Within each block
124 is at least one, and likely a plurality, of
functional/processing nodes 104. A single block controller 146 can
be assigned to control multiple blocks 124b-124c, when the number
of computing nodes 104 within an individual block does not exceed
the pre-established block controller (BC) threshold. Each end node
104 controlled by a respective block controller 146 is
communicatively coupled to block controller 146 via one or more
cables (not shown). Ethernet switch 136 enables MC 106 to
communicate with block controllers 146 via a network of Ethernet
cables 156.
Power subsystem 144 generally includes a plurality of power supply
units (PSUs) 158, one or more power distribution units (PDUs) 160,
and a modular vertical busbar assembly 162. Power subsystem 144
also includes a source of external AC source 164 connected to an
internal AC power 166. Each of the individual computing nodes 104
and other components within the IHS 100 that require power are
either directly coupled to modular vertical busbar assembly 162 or
coupled via power cables to PDUs 160 to obtain power. As one aspect
of power distribution within IHS 100, MC 106 can monitor power
consumption across the IHS 100 as well as the amount of available
power provided by the functional PSUs 158 and trigger changes in
power consumption at the block level and ultimately at the
(processing) node level based on changes in the amount of available
power and other factors. Control of the power subsystem 144 can, in
one embodiment, be provided by a separate power controller 168,
separate from MC 106. As further illustrated, one additional aspect
of the power subsystem 144 for the IHS 100 is the inclusion of AC
switch box 170. AC switch box 170 is communicatively coupled to
both IM 108 and power subsystem 144. AC switch box 170 includes a
plurality of AC inputs 172 and a plurality of AC outlets 174 that
are utilized to supply power to the PSUs 158, and other functional
components of the IHS 100.
The modular vertical busbar assembly 162 distributes DC power for
the rack assembly 102 to each vertical set of four nodes 104 of a
respective block 124 via a power interface board (PIB) 176. PIB 176
is a narrow board that provides power and signals to four (4) nodes
in a block chassis 124. One PIB 176 provides power to the four (4)
full-width nodes 104c of block C 124c, two (2) PIBs 176 provide
power to the eight (8) half-width nodes 104b of block B 124b, and
three (3) PIBs 176 provide power to the twelve (12) one-third width
nodes 104a of block A 124a. Each PIB 176 connects to one 4-node
connector in the block controller 146. PIBs 176 may be electrically
connected for DC power and ground to the modular vertical busbar
assembly 162 by a horizontal busbar 178 of each block chassis
125.
In one or more embodiments, the rack assembly 102 includes a base
structure 180 assembled from interconnected panels 182 to form a
volumetric space 184 having a front section 186 and a rear section
188. Opposing side walls 190 of the base structure 180 form a front
access space 192 and a rear access space 194, respectively, having
a width that supports insertion of standard full-width IT gear 105.
Guides 196 are located within interior surfaces of the opposing
side walls 190 at the front section 186, running from the front
section 186 to the rear section 188. The block chasses 125 have a
frame that provides a block height, which enables insertion of at
least one layer of up to N side-by-side fully functional IT gears
105 within the block chassis 125. The block chassis 125 is
physically inserted into the front section 186 of the base
structure 180 and held in place by at least two opposing guides 196
of the opposing side walls 190.
In one embodiment, N is an integer from among 1, 2, and 3. When
N=2, the modular, expandable rack assembly 102 includes at least
one block chassis 125b having one or more rows of two (2)
side-by-side fully functional IT gears 105, such as half-width
nodes 104a-b, inserted therein. The two side-by-side fully
functional IT gears 105 comprise two one-half width IT gear that
are one half a size of a standard width IT gear. When N=3, the
modular, expandable rack assembly 102 has at least one block
chassis 125a having one or more rows of fully functional IT gears
105a-d in three (3) side-by-side one-third width nodes 104a
inserted therein. The fully functional IT gears 105a-d within the
three side-by-side in one-third width nodes 104a are one third a
size of a standard width IT gear.
For purposes of the disclosure all general references to an
information handling system shall refer to the rack-level IHS 100,
while references to actual computing nodes 104 within the IHS 100
shall be referenced as chassis level computing nodes 104 or IT
components. It is further appreciated that within the rack-level
IHS 100 can be implemented separate domains or systems that are
independent of each other and can be assigned to different
independent customers and/or users. However, this level of detail
of the actual use of the computing nodes 104 within the general
rack-level IHS 100 is not relevant to the descriptions provided
herein and are specifically omitted. For clarity, a single
rack-level IHS 100 is illustrated. However, an IHS may include
multiple racks. For example, one rack may contain only storage
sleds with other racks providing computing nodes. In an exemplary
embodiment, components of the IHS 100 are organized into a
hierarchy as described in TABLE A:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE A Level Device/Module Acronym Comments Domain
Level Management MC In front of Controller Power Bay Domain Level
Infrastructure IM In rear of module Power Bay Domain Level AC
Switch Box ACSB Behind network switches Domain Level Power Bay PBPM
Connects to 10 Power Module supplies and two MCs. Designed by Delta
Domain Level Power Bay Power Holds PBPM, MCx2, Bay IM, & ACSB
Block Level Block Controller BC Hot Plug Fan Controller + Serial
& Node Interface Block Level Block Controller BCDB Fixed in
Block Distribution Board (BCDB) Block Level Power Interface PIB
Columns of Board 4 nodes Block Level Temperature Probe TPB Ambient
Temperature Board Sensor Node Level Node Power NPDB In each node
Distribution Board Node Level 4 drive HDD BP x4HDDBP Used in 12
drive FW HP sled Node level 2 drive HDD PB x2HDDBP Used for HP
2.5'' in HW sled
Further, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
the hardware components and basic configuration depicted in the
various figures and described herein may vary. For example, the
illustrative components within IHS 100 are not intended to be
exhaustive, but rather are representative to highlight components
that can be utilized to implement various aspects of the present
disclosure. For example, other devices/components/modules may be
used in addition to or in place of the hardware and software
modules depicted. The depicted examples do not convey or imply any
architectural or other limitations with respect to the presently
described embodiments and/or the general disclosure.
FIG. 2 illustrates a front isometric view 200 of an example rack
assembly 102 that is ready to receive functional components within
a first frame assembly 202 that includes an upper standard zone
204a and a lower standard zone 204b on either side of a power and
switch zone 206. The rack assembly 102 may also include a second
frame assembly 208 attached on top of the first frame assembly 202
to provide an expansion zone 210 for the rack assembly 102. In an
illustrative configuration, the second frame assembly 208 has
received a block chassis 125a partitioned to receive one-third
width nodes 104a (FIG. 1). The upper standard zone 204a of the
first frame assembly 202 may be configured as a 20 GU server zone
divided horizontally into four tiers by shelves 212. Each shelf 212
may provide full-width IT bays 214 or include partitions for
partial-width bays. The power and switch zone 206 of the rack
assembly 102 includes a switch bay 216 (2 U), two power bays 218 (3
GU.times.2), and another switch bay 216 (2 U). The lower standard
zone 204b may be configured as a 25 GU server zone divided into
tiers by shelves 212 into full-width IT bays 214.
Opposing sidewalls 220 of the rack assembly 102 are spaced to
receive a block chasses 125 (FIG. 1), such as block A chassis 125a.
Block A chassis 125a is capable of housing IT components as a block
A node 124a that is inserted from an open front side 222 of the
rack assembly 102. Block A chassis 125a has one or more rows for
insertion of three (3) side-by-side one-third width IT sleds 226
(FIG. 9) that are inserted in at least one of the one or more rows
and each contain IT gear 105. In one embodiment, guides 196 (FIG.
1) are provided inside of the block A chassis 125a for supporting
insertion of the one-third width IT sleds 226. The guides 196
present a thin lateral thickness of a panel so that the lateral
width of a row of three one-third IT sleds 226 substantially
defines the width of the block A chassis 125a. The one-third width
IT sleds 226 include a base panel 228 that hold the IT gear 105
(e.g., a motherboard with interconnected functional components)
between opposing side panels 230. In one embodiment as an
alternative to guides 196, horizontal slides 132 on the outer
surfaces of the opposing side panels 230 may guide the IT sleds 226
into the block A chassis 125a. For example, interior side surfaces
of the block A chassis 125a and three IT sleds 226 in a selected
row may be in flush alignment, either as flat vertical surfaces or
a nonflat surface with horizontally defined contours that define
horizontal slides 132. Right and left interior sides of the block A
chassis 125a and right and left side panels 230 of the one-third
width IT sleds 226 are corresponding mirror images of one another
for sliding frictional alignment. In one embodiment, the one-third
width IT sleds 226 each have a width that is less than or equal to
one-third of a standard nineteen (19) inch width rack that, in
flush lateral alignment, combine to represent a nineteen (19) inch
wide interior space of the block chassis 125 (FIG. 1).
FIG. 3 illustrates the example modular, expandable rack assembly
102 having functional components inserted therein to operate as one
or more rack-based IHSs 100. Then, the two power bays 218 (FIG. 2)
contain power bay chasses 300. FIGS. 3-4 illustrate block 124a
having a block chassis 125a that receives one-third width nodes
104a. FIGS. 3 and 5 illustrate block 124b having a block chassis
125b that receives half-width nodes 104b. FIG. 6 illustrates block
124c having a block chassis 125c that receives full-width nodes
104c for the rack assembly 102 (FIG. 3).
FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view 700 of the block 124a having the
block chassis 125a with three PIBs 176 that receive power from a
horizontal busbar 178 having a power conductor 702 and a ground
conductor 704.
FIG. 8 illustrates a front view 800 of the block chassis 125a
having three one-third width nodes 104a. Rather than including
guides 196 (FIG. 1), the three side-by-side fully functional IT
gears or IT sleds 226 have side panels 230, which can be configured
with exterior physical affordances that enable slideable connection
between adjacent IT sleds. For example, in the illustrated
embodiment, the side panels 230 of IT sleds 226 can respectively
have indentations 802 and protrusions 804 that enable interlocking
of a protrusions 804 of a first side of one of the three IT gears
or IT sleds 226 into an indentation 802 of the adjacent side of a
next IT gear or IT sled 226 to provide flushed side-by-side
alignment of each of the three IT gears or IT sleds 226 within the
corresponding layer of the block chassis 125a. A relatively flat
surfaced side panel 230 may also be utilized to allow for
frictional sliding against other side panels.
FIGS. 9-10 illustrate a top view 900 in horizontal cross section of
the example rack assembly 102 illustrating aft facing power
connections 902 of each IT sled 226 extended through a rear side of
the block chassis 125 to contact a horizontal busbar 178. The
horizontal busbar 178 in turn has been placed into electrical
connection with the vertical busbar assembly 162. In one
embodiment, the row of three one-third width IT sleds 226 may be a
non hot plug storage node placed between and functionally shared by
two computing nodes. The computing nodes may be configured to
continue operating during cold servicing of the non hot plug
storage node when the middle IT sled 226 is withdrawn from an
inserted position in the chassis 125, removing power from the
storage node.
FIGS. 11-12 illustrate an isometric view 1100 of a one-third width
IT sled 226 that contains IT gear 105 oriented depthways along a
motherboard 1102 from front to back. For example, a riser cable
1104 and PCIE (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) card 1106
are oriented depth wise. With particular reference to FIG. 12, the
motherboard 1102 has an elongated depthwise shape. Four 4.times.3.5
hard disk drive (HDD) modules 1108 and one 2.times.2.5 HDD module
1110 are arrayed in a single row depthwise rather than in a double
row. Depthwise orientation may also be achieved by segregating a
computing node to one IT sled 226 and an adjacent storage node to
another IT sled 226 for balanced compute and storage workloads
rather than using a half width or full width IT sled 226 with both
functionalities. More IT components may be placed in a single row
thereby rather than in double rows.
FIG. 13 illustrates a method 1300 for physically supporting
components of one or more information handling systems (IHSs).
Method 1300 includes assembling a modular, expandable rack assembly
having side walls spaced to receive a block chassis capable of
housing a plurality of information technology (IT) gear from an
open front side of the rack assembly (block 1302). In one
embodiment, method 1300 further includes assembling the modular,
expandable rack assembly by assembling a base structure comprising
a plurality of interconnected panels forming a volumetric space
having a front section and a rear section, with the opposing side
walls forming a front access space and a rear access space,
respectively, having a width that supports insertion of a standard
full-width IT gear (block 1304). Method 1300 further comprises
forming a plurality of guides located within interior surfaces of
the opposing side walls at the front section, the plurality of
guides running from the front section to the rear section for
receiving the block chassis (block 1306).
In block 1308, method 1300 includes assembling a block chassis
having a frame that provides a block height, which enables
insertion of at least one layer of up to N side-by-side fully
functional IT gears within the block chassis. In one embodiment,
the method 1300 includes selecting N as an integer from among 1, 2,
and 3 (block 1310). When N=2, method 1300 includes providing at
least one block chassis having one or more layers of two (2)
side-by-side sleds of fully functional IT gears inserted therein.
The two side-by-side sleds of fully functional IT gears comprise
two one-half width IT gear that are one half a size of a standard
width IT gear (block 1312). In block 1314, when N=3, method 1300
includes providing at least one block chassis having one or more
layers of three (3) side-by-side sleds of fully functional IT gears
inserted therein. The three side-by-side sleds of fully functional
IT gears comprise three one-third width IT gears that are one third
a size of a standard width IT gear. Then method 1300 ends.
FIG. 14 illustrates a method 1400 for providing the one-third width
IT gear. In block 1402, method 1400 includes providing the
one-third width IT gear each having a width that is less than or
equal to one-third of a standard nineteen (19) inch width rack that
combine to create a 19 inch wide sled chassis (block 1404). For
example, internal guides within the block chassis may have a narrow
lateral width, allowing the one-third width IT gear to occupy
substantially all of the volume of the block chassis. In another
particular embodiment, method 1400 further includes providing the
three side-by-side fully functional IT gears by providing side
panels having exterior indentations and protrusions that enable
interlocking of a protrusion of a first side of one of the three IT
gears into an indentation of the adjacent side of a next IT gear to
provide flushed side-by-side alignment of each of the three IT
gears within the corresponding layer of the block chassis (block
1406). In one embodiment, method 1400 includes inserting a row of
three selected one-third width sleds. Each one-third width sled may
be a selected one of a computing node, a non hot plug storage node,
a hot plug storage node, and a storage node configured as Just A
Bunch Of Disks (JBOD) (block 1408). The fractional width provides
greater block configuration flexibility in handling workloads that
are more computing intensive, more storage intensive, or have a
balanced workload. The fractional width also provides greater
configuration flexibility in selecting types of storage nodes that
may require hot swap servicing.
In one embodiment, method 1400 further includes inserting a
selected row of three one-third width sleds comprising a non hot
plug storage node placed between and to be functionally shared by
two computing nodes (block 1410). The fractional width allows for
computing nodes to be placed adjacent to a storage node for
functional communication but not in the same IT sled. Withdrawing
an IT sled to service the storage node does not require withdrawing
the computing node that is separately contained in its own IT sled.
Thus, the computing node may continue to operate. In block 1412,
method 1400 includes configuring the computing nodes to continue
operating online during cold servicing of the non hot plug storage
node. Then method 1400 ends.
FIG. 15 illustrates a method 1500 for providing electrical power to
the one-third width IT gear. Method 1500 includes attaching a
vertical busbar to the rear section of the rack assembly (block
1502). In block 1504, method 1500 includes providing a horizontal
busbar electrically connected to each one-third width IT bay of the
block chassis and aligned to electrically connect to the vertical
busbar. In block 1506, method 1500 includes inserting the block
chassis into the rack assembly to electrically connect the
horizontal busbar to the vertical busbar for providing electrical
power to each of the one-third width IT gears inserted into the
block chassis. Then method 1500 ends.
In the above described flow charts of FIGS. 13-15, one or more of
the methods may be embodied in an automated manufacturing system
that performs a series of functional processes. In some
implementations, certain steps of the methods are combined,
performed simultaneously or in a different order, or perhaps
omitted, without deviating from the scope of the disclosure. Thus,
while the method blocks are described and illustrated in a
particular sequence, use of a specific sequence of functional
processes represented by the blocks is not meant to imply any
limitations on the disclosure. Changes may be made with regards to
the sequence of processes without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure. Use of a particular sequence is therefore, not
to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present
disclosure is defined only by the appended claims.
One or more of the embodiments of the disclosure described can be
implementable, at least in part, using a software-controlled
programmable processing device, such as a microprocessor, digital
signal processor or other processing device, data processing
apparatus or system. Thus, it is appreciated that a computer
program for configuring a programmable device, apparatus or system
to implement the foregoing described methods is envisaged as an
aspect of the present disclosure. The computer program may be
embodied as source code or undergo compilation for implementation
on a processing device, apparatus, or system. Suitably, the
computer program is stored on a carrier device in machine or device
readable form, for example in solid-state memory, magnetic memory
such as disk or tape, optically or magneto-optically readable
memory such as compact disk or digital versatile disk, flash
memory, etc. The processing device, apparatus or system utilizes
the program or a part thereof to configure the processing device,
apparatus, or system for operation.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary
embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for
elements thereof without departing from the scope of the
disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a
particular system, device or component thereof to the teachings of
the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the
particular embodiments disclosed for carrying out this disclosure,
but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within
the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, the use of the terms
first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but
rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one
element from another.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and
"the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood
that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The description of the present disclosure has been presented for
purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be
exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many
modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art without departing from the scope of the
disclosure. The described embodiments were chosen and described in
order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the
practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in
the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with
various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated.
* * * * *